The floor boards typically used in the laying and installation of wood or simulated wood flooring are provided with a tongue along one side edge and a groove along the opposite side edge so that the tongue of one floor board fits into the groove in the adjacent floor board. Preferably, the adjacent floor boards should be placed as close as possible to one another to avoid significant spaces and gaps between adjacent floor boards. The flooring installation process usually proceeds by placing a first board at the appropriate place and securing it in place by, for example, nailing it to the underlying subfloor or floor joists. The next board is then placed in close proximity to the previously laid board with the tongue of one floor board fitting into the groove on the adjacent floor board. Once in position, the new floor board is then nailed or secured in the appropriate manner to the underlying subfloor or floor joists. This process continues until the entire floor has been laid.
During the floor installation process, it is not uncommon that the floor boards being laid are warped or bowed along their entire length or along a portion of their length. As can be readily appreciated, the warped or bowed nature of the floor boards makes it difficult to place adjacent boards in close abutting relation to one another.
Typically, a rubber headed hammer is used to force the floor boards into abutting relation with respect to the previously laid floor board, or if the floor board being laid is the first floor board, into abutting relation with respect to the wall. As might be expected, however, the use of such a hammer presents certain difficulties.
For example, pounding the floor boards into position to ensure that they are located as close as possible to one another can cause damage to the tongue and the groove that is formed on the side edges of the floor boards. Moreover, rubber headed hammers are not very effective in aiding the installation of floor boards that are warped or bowed.
As an alternative to the use of rubber headed hammers, various devices have been proposed for use in the installation of floor boards on a subfloor or floor joists. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,354,854; 3,779,515; 1,153,106; 2,588,401; 375,147; 775,092; 776,575; 811,131; 174,838; 344,101; 1,568,885; 1,231,461; 953,596; 2,948,507; 3,524,623; 940,695; and 559,052. However, none of these devices has gained widespread use in the industry. Moreover, the devices disclosed in these patent suffer from various disadvantages and drawbacks and are susceptible to improvements.
For example, at least some of the devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents are designed in such a manner that the force exerted by the device is directed to a small area with respect to the entire length of the floor board. These devices are not well suited for applying a force along a substantial portion of the length of the floor board and thus, the ability of these devices to force warped or bowed floor boards into close abutting relation with respect to the previously laid floor board is significantly limited.
Some of the devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents are also designed in such a manner that the force that is imparted to the floor board during use of the device is not substantially parallel to the plane of the flooring, but rather is directed at an angle relative thereto. The greater the angle at which the force is directed relative to the plane of the flooring, the smaller the magnitude of the horizontal component of the force applied by the device. Additionally, damage may result to the floor boards if the floor boards are pushed together at an angle rather than parallel to one another.
Another problem that arises is that there is a tendency for some of the devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents to cause the floor board being laid to kick up out of the plane of the flooring.
Additionally, some of the devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents are designed such that the portion of the device adapted to engage the floor board being laid is specifically configured to match the tongue that extends from one side edge of the board. If the floor board engaging portion of the device is not exactly aligned with the floor board, or if the floor board is displaced slightly or kicks up during use of the device, damage can result to the tongue on the floor board.